The new Barbie movie is all the rage. The upbeat pop music, loud pink houses, and signature aesthetic of the ultrafeminine doll jump out from its viral trailer. The hype surrounding the movie caused a pink paint shortage and a viral “Barbiecore” trend on social media. All the buzz aside, it is already stirring up unforeseen political controversy ahead of its July 21 release date in the U.S.: Vietnam has banned Barbie because of a scene showing a map of a disputed section of the South China Sea, according to state-run outlet Tuoi Tre.
A segment of the movie shows the "nine-dash line" as depicted on Chinese maps to show the areas of the South China Sea it claims. It’s unclear which scene shows the map or for which plotline.
